We
by Dobby Rules All The Way
Summary: "You really love her, don't you?" Harry asks. "Yes, I do…" Ron answers softly. I can feel his eyes on me. I reckon he thinks I'm asleep. But I'm not. I'm just resting and enjoying the moment. He just said he loved me, I'm the luckiest girl in the world.


**Story set the night after Hermione's torture in Shell Cottage.**

_'Answer me, you filthy mudblood!' Bellatrix orders, threatening me with her wand._

_I'm lying on the cold Malfoy Manor floor, arms and legs spread out, with Bellatrix on top of me._

_'It's a copy!' I cry, 'Just a copy!'_

_'LIAR!' Bellatrix roars, and then says 'Crucio!' and all the room goes dark._

_I scream and I feel like my body is being ripped in half. I feel like if my insides were rotting and my head would explode any moment. I yell for help with all my strength. But none comes. I have no hope._

I wake up screaming and struggling against my blankets. I'm sweating and panting, trying to catch my breath. I'm in Shell Cottage. I'm safe. But, no, I can't feel safe. I need him to feel safe. I need Ron.

I stand up from my bed. I look around. I've woken Luna up.

'Hermione, why aren't you sleeping?' she asks, with her normal dreamy tone.

'I just can't.' I reply. 'I'm scared. I'm going to talk to Ron. He always knows what to do…'

'Huh,' Luna says, 'Sweet of you to say that. Well, good night!'

I go out of the room I share with Luna and go down the stairs. In the small sitting room, Dean is sleeping on the sofa, and Harry and Ron are on the floor. I walk towards Ron and kneel beside him.

'Ron' I whisper. Immediately he wakes up. He looks at me concerned.

'Hermione!' he gasps, 'Is there something wrong? Can I help you in any way?'

'I… I had a nightmare… It was the… the t-torture again. I… I'

'Shhh. It's okay, Hermione.' He whispers, sitting up on the floor to reach my eye level, 'You're safe now. You're with me. And I'm never leaving you.'

I look at Ron with wide eyes. Ron knows I want to cry. So he stands up and sits on an arm chair next to Harry. Softly, he motions me to lie down on his lap. I walk over to Ron and sit on his lap. I cuddle against his strong chest and rest my head on his forearm.

Ron hisses while stroking my hair gently.

'Hermione, I promise you that, no matter what, I'll never leave your side again.' He whispers.

'Good,' I whisper back, 'Because I don't want you to leave me.'

I can't help but to cry on his chest. I grab his pyjama T-shirt as if I were going to lose him.

'Ron,' I sob, 'I'm scared!'

'Shhh,' Ron hisses, taking my hand and stroking small circles on it with his thumb, 'Don't be. You're here, I'm here. We're here. We're together, safe.'

I cuddle more into Ron's chest and whisper, 'You mean a lot to me, Ron' and then my breathing gets slower and slower.

Ron holds me tight to his chest. I love that feeling when he's protecting me. I feel safe, loved.

He kisses me softly on the forehead.

'You really love her, don't you?' a voice says.

'Yes, I do…' Ron answers softly. I can feel his eyes on me.

_I reckon he thinks I'm asleep. But I'm not. I'm just resting and enjoying the moment._

_He just said he loved me, _I think;_ I'm the luckiest girl in the world._

'Have you ever told her?' Harry asks softly.

'No. I'd love to, but she's got too many things going on in her life. The war, her parents, her t-torture… The last thing she needs is to know a red-head git is falling for her…'

_Oh… Ron is always so thoughtful! He's always thinking about me! I want to tell him that I love him too, but I also want to hear what he says about me…_

'But… does she love you back?' Harry asks.

'I… I don't think so. She'd never fall for me. I'm too much of a git and I've been so mean with her all my life… now she just needs a friend. But since you have your own problems, I reckon she comes to me.'

_He's saying it like it where the most normal thing in the world. I do love him back! I do!_

'Anyway,' Ron continued, stroking her hair, 'she deserves someone better than me. I mean, she's perfect. She has always been perfect.'

_You're perfect, Ron! You're what I always wanted!_

'And I'm not enough for her. I can't make her as happy as other men might…'

_What do you think I'm feeling right now? Sadness? Merlin, I'm as happy as I could ever be!_

'See? I've already failed her two times! She almost died! And I didn't save her.'

_Because you couldn't, Ron. It wasn't possible._

'I'm too self-centred.'

_Okay, Ronald, now you're just lying. You are nothing but the opposite of a self-centred man! Look at how much you care for me!_

'I… I know it just can't happen between us. I'm aware of that.'

I can't hold back my tears._ He says beautiful things! I-I…_

'I love you, Ron!' I cry, pressing my face to his chest. 'I do love you!'

Ron looks down at me and I look at him back with my eyes very open.

_Did I just ruin the moment?_

I see Harry laying down back on his sleeping bag. _Wait a second. Did he set us up on purpose? Harry is a great friend…_

'Y-You love me?' Ron manages to ask.

'I do! I know it's crazy, but I do! I'm desperately in love with you, Ron!' I cry.

_It feels good to finally say it out loud. And best of all, in front of him. And even better, laying on his strong arms and pressing my face against his chest._

'Oh,' he says, his ears turn pink, 'you heard me and Harry talking, huh?'

'And I'm so glad I did!' I confess, 'You are the most amazing person I know, Ron!'

Ron cups my face in his strong hands and looks at me. I look into his deep blue eyes. _If only he knew how many times those eyes have comforted me… This is another of those times. When I look at him, all of a sudden, I'm happy. I can't help it._

_He's got something I've never seen in a guy before. He's my best friend. He and I can tell each other everything. Well, the same happens with Harry, but Ron… there's so much more to him than being my best friend!_

When I realize that, I hug him very strongly. I never want to leave his side. He isn't just Ron anymore. He's _my_ Ron, now.

**Okay, now don't come yelling at me because I didn't make them kiss. I thought, and hope you think too, that what they needed was more like a best-friend-comfort thing. Anyway, please review! Thanks!**


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